Military Leaders

I salute columnist Georgie Anne Geyer for her courage in presenting her no-spin piece on the turmoil in Iraq ("Prison scandal responsibility must trickle down from top; Leaders must be held responsible because they set the standard and tell followers by word and action what is permitted and what is not" (Commentary, May 14). She hit the nail on the head in exposing those who are truly to blame for the fiasco.

JUBA (Reuters) - The European Union announced travel bans and asset freezes on Thursday on two South Sudanese military leaders it said were violating ceasefire agreements put in place to stop fighting that has killed thousands. The Council of the European Union said it would name the two individuals on Friday when the sanctions come into effect. The United States has already imposed similar measures against leaders on both sides. Fighting erupted in Juba in December,...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday discussed options with U.S. military commanders about America's presence in Afghanistan next year as the two nations debate over whether a U.S. troop contingent will be there at all. The White House said Obama sat down in the Oval Office with General Joseph Dunford, who commands international forces in Afghanistan; Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel; General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint...

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre BANGKOK (Reuters) - The head of the junta that seized power in Thailand last month said on Friday that an interim government would be set up by August, the first time he has given a clear date on delegating any sort of power in the country. General Prayuth Chan-ocha, in an address to senior military officials, announced the date as part of a three-phase plan of reconciliation, formation of a government and elections to be rolled out by the ruling...

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union broadened sanctions on Russia on Tuesday, imposing asset freezes and visa bans on 15 Russian officials or Ukrainian rebel leaders, but many EU states are wary of going further and applying more intense economic pressure on Russia. The EU targeted a number of high-ranking Russian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, and Russia's senior general, Valery Gerasimov, and pro-Russian separatist leaders in eastern...

President Barack Obama on Wednesday charted a vision for protecting America that relies less on military power and more on training foreign security forces to fight on their own soil. His context: Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have taught American leaders about the power - and limits - of U.S. military options. The U.S. still has a vital interest in dismantling terror networks and havens, the president said. Terrorism remains "the most direct threat to America at home and abroad. "...

* Obesity a top reason young adults can't join military -experts * Report: U.S. school kids eat 400 billion excess calories a year * Retired military leaders push stronger school food rules By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Former U.S military leaders have identified a latent threat to the potential for a leaner, more agile fighting force: the school vending machine. In a report to be released on Tuesday, a group of 300 retired...

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union broadened sanctions on Russia on Tuesday, imposing asset freezes and visa bans on 15 Russian officials or Ukrainian rebel leaders, but many EU states are wary of going further and applying more intense economic pressure on Russia. The EU targeted a number of high-ranking Russian officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, and Russia's senior general, Valery Gerasimov, and pro-Russian separatist leaders in eastern...

Stung by criticism from Congress and human-rights groups that its Haiti policy has reached a dead end, the Clinton administration is reversing itself and will focus on wringing concessions from the Haitian military rather than from the exiled president, Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In an effort to improve the chances of restoring democracy and forcing Haiti's military leaders to step down, administration officials say the United States plans steps that include...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday discussed options with U.S. military commanders about America's presence in Afghanistan next year as the two nations debate over whether a U.S. troop contingent will be there at all. The White House said Obama sat down in the Oval Office with General Joseph Dunford, who commands international forces in Afghanistan; Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel; General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint...

Removing a final major obstacle to settling Haiti's political crisis, diplomats and advisers to ousted president Jean-Bertrand Aristide say he has extended an offer of amnesty to his most bitter opponents among the army leadership. United Nations mediators are expected to present the offer to Haitian military leaders on Wednesday in a meeting that diplomats have described as pivotal to the resolution of the 18-month crisis. Mediators have said they hope to have Aristide return to office...

* Visit expected to take place next week * Hoping to send "unified message" to military leaders * Senators prefer no decision on aid before September By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama has asked two senior Republican senators to travel to Egypt to meet with its military leaders and the opposition, as Cairo's allies struggle with how to address the turmoil convulsing the country. Senator John McCain...

I agree that editorials and political cartoonists ought to attempt to be "fair" or at least intellectually honest, so one can only assume from her letter (Nov. 12) that Illinois feminist leader, Sharon Hayes, would vociferously attack any cartoonist's stereotyping of our military leaders as being "bloated" with weapons or money, or "continually" invading areas around the world. Should I hold my breath? Unfortunately, almost all political cartooning is based on the cheap shot-see Doonesbury on George Bush.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the prime minister on Tuesday on corruption allegations, ratcheting up pressure on a government that is also facing street protests led by a cleric who has a history of ties to the army. The combination of the arrest order and the mass protest in the capital, Islamabad, led by Muslim cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, raised fears among politicians that the military was working with the judiciary to force out...

WASHINGTON, Dec 27 (Reuters) - U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr, who headed coalition forces that drove Saddam Hussein's army out of Kuwait in Operation Desert Storm, has died, former President George H.W. Bush said in a statement on Thursday. Bush said he and his wife Barbara "mourn the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation," according to a statement released by the former ...

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday that the United States has no plans to invade Iraq or any other country, but he refused to discuss administration plans for dealing with Saddam Hussein. Rumsfeld declined to address news reports that top military leaders had expressed strong reservations about launching a large military operation to oust Hussein. Those concerns, according to newspaper stories, included worries that the U.S. military is being stretched thin by...